Not All Surprises Are Good
by Not A Failure Overall
Summary: The story of Taz and Up just after Starship. Why does Taz not want to be with Up? And what happens when Up tries to arrange a surpirse birthday party for Taz? Will their friendship be able to last much longer?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello, this is my first Fanfiction, so please review and tell me what you think. All reviews are welcome good or bad. Also if you have anything you want to see in this tell me and I'll see if I can work it in somewhere. Hope you like it! **

As Starship 15A2 left bug world, all of the rangers waved goodbye to their new friends. _De mission was quite successful, we got de estúpido science officer back and we now have a new ranger._

Once the Starship was set on autopilot for headquarters, Taz left the control room and began the long journey through the many twisting corridors of 15A2, back to her room. Just outside the control room making out was February and Bug, blocking the only exit. Taz cleared her throat loudly but the new couple were completely oblivious to Taz's presence. She cleared her throat once more with no effect.

"Would jou idiota's get a room or at least get outta my way or I will hurt jou!" At this the couple sprang apart. Bug looked suitably embarrassed and February suppressing a giggle said "Oops!" Before grabbing Bug's claw and dragging him off down the corridor. Taz rolled her eyes as the sound of February's giggles drifted towards her and then set off again for her room.

The rest of Taz's journey back to her room was uneventful until she was in the corridor outside her room, which just so happened to be the same corridor in which Commander Up stayed. Taz was almost at her door, when she heard a soft click and then Up appeared from the room directly opposite her own. His face lit up instantly on seeing Taz, who scowled and continued towards her door. _Not now, please dead God don't let him talk to me._

"Hey Taz! I haven't seen you since we were down on bug world, I was starting to think we had left you there," Up chuckled, grinning like a mad man, "Anyway, I thought we could go to the gym together to catch up and then we could go back to my room and watch The Karate Kid, you know like old times." Taz groaned inwardly, rolled her eyes and then reluctantly turned to face Up. Unable to think up a good enough excuse on the spot, Taz simply nodded and said "Si" while avoiding making eye contact with Up.

The starship's gym was relatively small, just big enough to hold all of the necessary equipment for ranger training in it. A few machines were scattered around the perimeter of the room – including a couple of treadmills, a punch bag and weights. The middle of the floor was cleared with a few matt's covering the floor for sparring practice. This was where Taz was, sizing up her opponent like she had done many times before. Up was much taller and larger than she was but Taz was faster and more agile and over the years she had learned to use this to her advantage. Up made a sharp punch in her direction, which Taz quickly dodged having already anticipated the move. The two rangers, the Commander and his Lieutenant, continued to circle each other trying to catch the other off guard – an almost impossible task for two people who had been around each other for as long as this pair had.

On deciding that no one was going to win, Taz and Up had decided to call it a draw and were now sitting beside the weights. Taz was working on her upper arm muscles while Up watched, cooling off.

"Everything worked out perfectly in the end, didn't it?" said Up.

"Huh?" Taz said momentarily distracted from her weight lifting.

"On bug world, I mean. We got February back, Megagirl didn't kill anyone and is happily married to Tootsie, that son of a bitch Junior is gone and Bug is a fine ranger. Not to mention us."

"What do jou mean _us_?" hissed Taz, her eyes narrowing to thin slits and her scowl becoming more refined.

"Well, I'm glad everything is back to the way it was before my, well you know…" Up said his voice fading as he said the last words. In response Taz abruptly got up and slammed the weights she was holding to the bench and stalked towards the entrance to the gym.

"What's wrong Taz?" said Up the concern evident in his voice.

"Headache," she snapped as the gym door slammed shut behind her.

_Something seems off with her, she's been acting differently lately. It's her birthday next week, maybe I'll throw her a surprise party to cheer her up. _

Back in her room Taz threw herself onto her bed, glad to finally be there. On her journey back from the gym she had encountered Krayonder who had tried to talk to her and ended up with a bloody nose and a black eye to look forward too. Taz might have felt just a little bit bad about what she had done if she was not so mad at Up. _Jou may think everything is back to normal but I know better. It's only a matter of time before jou turn soft again. _Taz sighed her anger quickly fading; she didn't mean to be so hard on Up, he was her best friend and had been since they had met at her quinceañera. _It's almost ten years now._ Taz's 25th birthday was approaching and she was not looking forward to it. The memories it brought back were not ones that Taz liked to dwell on for long.

Taz knew that Up wanted them to be more than friends having been told by various people over the years. February was the latest in the long line of people, who didn't let a day go past without informing Taz of this fact and offering to give her a makeover. Taz shuddered at the thought of a February makeover remembering the time when she convinced Specs that it would be a good idea. February's claimed that Specs looked 'fabulous' but in Taz's opinion the correct word was 'clown'. She had never been a girly sort of girl and didn't intent on becoming one anytime soon. Taz was viewed as one of the best rangers in the galactic league and she intended to keep it that way. Lost in her thoughts Taz eventually drifted off into a deep sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

**A/N First of all thank you to everyone who had already reviewed and/or followed this story, I really appreciate it! Second, I'm really sorry that I took so long to update but I have been busy with school work. I'll try and update faster next time but I have some exams coming up soon and might not have any time. Anyway… **

Taz woke up still dressed in her Lieutenants uniform. Her white tank top was clinging to her skin and she had been sweating. Her brow was clammy and her heart was racing. _It was just an estúpido nightmare. Only a dream. Calm down._

Taz then pushed herself into a sitting position and swung her legs off her small but comfortable bed. She got up and looked at herself in the mirror. Her hair was messed up and was in need of a wash and she had bags under her eyes from a restless night. Her face was soft and she was pretty without the usual scowl that was permanently plastered there. Taz was rarely seen without her signature scowl, it made her feel better, it made her feel tough. In fact only one living person in the entire galaxy had seen Taz without it, had seen her with all of her barriers down. Up.

After all of her family had been murdered right in front of her, Taz thought that she would never open up to anyone again. But then she started talking to the man who had saved her from the robots.

He made her feel happy again and when she was with him she could forget, even if it was just for a little while about what happened to her family. He helped her into the academy and when she was struggling with calculus he helped her with it. She then graduated top of her class and became a ranger on Up's ship, where they fought in various wars together. A lot of the crew were wiped out after a particularly nasty battle and so Taz got promoted to Lieutenant. They had been together ever since. Commander and Lieutenant, the perfect team. That was until the robot wars and Up's accident.

A single tear ran down Taz's face as she thought about her past and all the people she had lost. She was determined not to lose Up as well, but she wanted him to be the old Up again and not this new soft Up. She continued to look at herself in the mirror for a moment and then roughly wiped away the lone tear. The scowl was back in place by the time she reached the bathroom.

…

Now that she was showered and in a fresh uniform, Taz was heading to the dinner room for breakfast. She rounded the corner and entered the small room. It was nothing compared to the cafeteria at headquarters but it was big enough for the small crew on this ship and served its purpose well.

From where she was standing Taz had a direct view to the table where all of her crew mates were sitting together. They were having an intense discussion but that was as much as Taz could tell. They were all huddled together whispering fiercely to one another, but stopped abruptly when Specs on noticing Taz's presence coughed into her hand rather loudly. It wasn't one of Specs better ideas, of course it done the job but it also alerted Taz to the fact that they had been talking about her. Instead of storming over to them and punching them in the face like she really wanted to do, Taz ignored them instead and busied herself with making her breakfast. Behind her the rest of the crew had begun to talk again but this obviously wasn't the same conversation as before. They were now discussing their plans for when they got back to headquarters. February had taken over so they were getting a very detailed description of what she intended to buy for herself.

…

After Taz was done eating, she stormed out of the room and off down the corridor having spoken to none of her friends while having her breakfast. As soon as she has left however the groups previous discussion had recommenced.

"So, what do you guys think? Should we throw Taz a surprise party?" said Up his voice low, in case Taz was still close by.

"Yes! What kind of girl doesn't like a party? And it also gives me a chance to buy another new outfit!" exclaimed February, who was now grinning.

"Great, Bug?"

"I agree with February"

_Of course he does._ "Tootsie?"

"Yeah, where I come from Farm Planet, we love birthdays! One time we threw a party for my cousin-"

"Megagirl?"

"I can see no problem with your proposition. I have never attended a party and would like to experience one."

"Krayonder?"

"Yeah man, I haven't been to a party in like a whole month!"

"Specs?"

"Uh, actually I'm a little worried about how Taz will react to this. I'm not 100% certain that she will enjoy it.

"Well, sorry Specs but you're outvoted, we're having a party!" yelled Krayonder, punching the air.

"But let's agree not to talk about it again until we are back at headquarters, okay? We'll meet again there and decide who we're going to invite and stuff, but until then no one mention it." The rest of the crew nodded their agreement and dispersed to go about their daily duties.

…

Starship 15A2 was approaching headquarters and Taz and Up were in the control room preparing for their landing. The rest of the crew were elsewhere doing their assigned duties. Up was chatting animatedly to Taz who was not listening only nodding when she thought appropriate. Up didn't seem to notice this however and kept talking while pushing various buttons, until they were only a few minutes from landing.

"Well it was another fun adventure but we're back and I for one am glad of the rest, eh Taz?"

Taz grunted in response, pretending she was too busy with the controls. _Of course jou want a rest! Because jou are still soft!_ Taz glanced up from the panel in front of her and saw earth again for the first time in a while. _It's still beautiful._ She thought as the Starship landed.


End file.
